Parkour Star Trains Students on Columbus Day

While some endured the rainy and cloudy weather for their Columbus Day festivities Monday, others opted for some inside fun.

“The world is more than [just] what we see, but more of what we feel and experience,” said Jamie Rahn, co-owner of Pinnacle Parkour Academy of Cherry Hill.

With many South Jersey schools closed for Columbus Day, a local parkour gym owner decided it would be the perfect time to open up his doors, and get the kids out of the house and into a different type of exercise.

“We wanted to offer something for the kids," said Rahn. "We try to do this every time schools are closed if we can make it happen."

Kids of all ages were running, jumping, and swinging around at Pinnacle Parkour Academy.

Jamie Rahn, one of the owners and a frequent contestant on American Ninja Warrior, said teaching younger students his favorite exercise is preparing them for a healthy life.

“For the kids to be able to do it and progress where they are, they’re going to be way better off than we are now, not just [in terms of] talent and skill, but mobility and health,” said Rahn.

“It’s awesome because there’s so much cool obstacles, and Jamie’s one of the best teachers of all,” said Ryan Mercurio, a student at the Pinnacle Parkour Academy.

For this seven-year-old, he’s already seeing results after attending parkour classes for the last couple of years.

“He started coming here, and he got so much confidence, and he’s gotten so much stronger,” said Art Mercurio, Ryan’s father.

“I think kids are wanting to do parkour," said Rahn. "I think they try and do it, you know, climbing on things, getting told not to."

As he trains for his eighth time competing on American Ninja Warrior, Rahn says he loves every minute of creatively challenging his students to be their absolute best.

“My absolute favorite thing about being on the show is just being able to experience all of these different challenges, and to be able to inspire all of these kids and people to be active,” said Rahn.